Outcome of Recurrent Auricular Keloid Treatment with a Combination of Surgical Excision and Perioperative Corticosteroid Injection

BACKGROUND: Auricular keloids that occur after ear piercing or other traumas can challenge surgeons as recurrence is frequent; there has been no consensus about the best management protocol. Surgical excision combined with perioperative corticosteroid injections is frequently used as first-line therapy, but recurrent auricular keloids are usually shifted to a combination of radiotherapy and surgical excision. OBJECTIVES: The objective is to evaluate the rate of recurrence when recurrent auricular keloids are treated with surgical excision with perioperative corticosteroid injections. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between February 2017 and January 2020, 41 patients (52 auricles) with recurrent auricular keloids were treated by extralesional keloid excision combined with five corticosteroid steroid injections (two preoperative, one intraoperative, and two postoperative doses). Recurrence was recorded if the surgical scar showed hypertrophy or started to rise above the level of the margins. RESULTS: The mean postoperative follow-up was 13.04 months (ranging from 6 to 24 months). Recurrence was recorded in five auricles (9.6%) during the follow-up period. CONCLUSION: Perioperative corticosteroid injections combined with surgical excision of auricular keloids are still a valid option in recurrent cases, and it is a useful choice when radiotherapy facilities are limited.